THE USE OF MIRTAZAPINE IN DEPRESSED INPATIENTS

Mirtazapine is a new antidepressant with a specific pharmacological pr ofile which is different from all other currently available antidepres sants. It is a so-called noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antid epressant (NaSSA). 46 in-patients were treated with mirtazapine. The m ean dosis was 56 mg mirtazapine per day (SD: 23; range: 15 to 90). The duration of treatment was 3.6 weeks (SD +/- 3.4). Patients presented with following diagnosis: 29 (= 63%) were diagnosed as having a unipol ar depression, 26% (n = 12) suffered from a depression in the course o f a bipolar disorder. 37% (n = 17) were moderately depressed, 52% (n = 24) were severely depressed. 2 patients (= 4%) met ICD-10 (Internatio nal Classification of Diseases) criteria for a schizoaffective disorde r, 2 patients (= 4%) suffered from dysthymia. 1 patient suffered from an organic depressive disorder. The efficacy of the treatment was eval uated with CGI (Clinical Global Impression), when patients were discha rged from hospital. 68% of the patients were in partial or full remiss ion (CGI 2, 3 and 4), 17% were unimproved (CGI 5 and 6), in 15% of the patients the treatment was stopped before. Our observations are indic ative that mirtazapine is effective in the treatment of moderately and severely depressed patients and therefore confirm the data obtained i n phase III-trials. Furthermore we found mirtazapine in either mono- o r combination-therapy with various other antidepressants to be tolerat ed well. Side effects did not cause in a single patient a discontinuat ion in treatment.